Kemp announces another $1B tax rebate

For the second time in three years, Gov. Brian Kemp is giving Georgians a tax rebate worth more than $1 billion.

Kemp said Tuesday he will include the rebate in the mid-year budget he introduces to the General Assembly in January. He said the extra money will come in handy, particularly for Georgians who suffered losses from Hurricane Helene.

'We all know that even if inflation has fallen, high prices haven’t,' he said. 'Families see that every day when they go to the grocery store or the gas pump. … People shouldn’t have to deal with that added burden, especially in the wake of tragedy.'

Tuesday's announcement was the second tax relief measure the governor has issued in recent weeks. Kemp temporarily suspended collection of the state sales tax on gasoline and other motor fuels shortly after Helene struck large portions of South Georgia and the Augusta region.

The governor proposed a similar tax rebate two years ago worth about $1 billion. The General Assembly approved that rebate during the 2023 legislative session.

Under the new tax rebate, single tax filers will receive $250. A single filer who is the head of his or her household will get $375, and married couples filing jointly will receive $500.

Kemp said the state can afford the rebate because conservative budgeting has helped the state build up a huge budget surplus. He said he'd rather send that money back to taxpayers instead of pouring it into new government programs.

'This is one-time money … a way for us to use our excess surplus to get it back to the people we believe know how to use it best,' he said. 'The worst mistake the state could make would be to grow government with one-time money.'